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The Venerable' Bede (c.672-735), wrote the 'Ecclesiastical History of the English People' in 731; it is an historical account of Christianity in England down to his own lifetime. It has been called 'the foundation of all our knowledge of British history and a masterpiece eulogised by the scholars of every age'. In this manuscript the text is followed by a series of annals which show that it was owned by Plympton Priory, in Devon. The page was prepared to contain annals for the years 1143 to 1170, but not every year has an entry. In 1145 the appearance of a comet is noted ('Cometa apparuit'), in 1147 an eclipse, in 1149 the death of Reinaldus, prior of Plympton, and so on. Some entries refer to national events, such as the death of King Stephen and the accession of King Henry in 1164, while others have a bias towards the south-west of England, such as the deaths of Robert, bishop of Exeter (1155), and Richard Earl of Devon (1162).